


Yeah, I got problems but I got melodies to solve them (and the verses I write will speak for me)

by BetterThanFirewhiskey



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, M/M, Music, Showers, they have lots of showers late at night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 01:10:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6174169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BetterThanFirewhiskey/pseuds/BetterThanFirewhiskey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the Tumblr prompt "so we’ve never met but our showers are on opposite sides of the same apartment wall so sometimes we’re showering at the same time and we sing duets"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yeah, I got problems but I got melodies to solve them (and the verses I write will speak for me)

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first actual published Ziall fic, but I have a tonne on the go. It's just a quick oneshot, thanks to [Lia](https://thecoloursneverfade.tumblr.com) for betaing this quickly for me :) 
> 
> Playlist of all the songs:
> 
> [Yeah, I got problems but I got melodies to solve them (and the verses I write will speak for me)](http://8tracks.com/betterthanfirewhiskey/yeah-i-got-problems-but-i-got-melodies-to-solve-them-and-the-verses-i-write-will-speak-for-me?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) from [BetterThanFirewhiskey](http://8tracks.com/betterthanfirewhiskey?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) on [8tracks Radio](http://8tracks.com?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button).

Niall knew that the walls of his apartment were ridiculously thin. The apartment next door to him had been empty for about a month, but before that there was a middle aged couple who had obviously not realized that most of the complex was full of students, because after a couple of noise complaints, they’d only lasted two months before moving out.

Niall thought that it was still empty, so he nearly fell over when he was stripping out of his pyjamas (that he totally hadn’t been in all day, no matter what Liam said) for a shower, and he heard the soft tones of someone singing incredibly on-key to a Lana Del Rey song on the other side of the shower wall.

He obviously didn’t get out enough if he didn’t even realise they had a new neighbour, but the person (possibly male from the voice, but possibly not) mustn’t have been there long, because Jade hadn’t mentioned a new neighbour the last time he, Louis, and Liam had been around to their neighbours opposite them for dinner, and Jade and Jesy specifically always knew everything going on in the building.

He wasn’t sure if the person was able to hear him over the shower stream that Niall could hear through the wall, so he slowly turned his own shower on, sighing quietly as he stepped under the hot water.

He recognised the song as they got to the chorus, and couldn’t help but join in, almost subconsciously.

“… _promise you'll remember that you're mine, baby can you see through the tears_.”

There was the unmistakable crash of shampoo bottles falling over, and the singing stopped, allowing Niall to hear that there was a speaker playing the music as well. He was about to ask if the person was okay, but after a few seconds, the singing started up again.

“ – _say you'll remember, oh baby ooh. I will love you 'til the end of time_ – are you still there?” The person, definitely a guy, asked, and Niall answered by joining in on the bridge.

“ _You went out every night, and baby that's alright, I told you that no matter what you did I'd be by your side_ …” They actually harmonised well together, and Niall wondered if the guy was a music student because he was actually really talented.

Unfortunately the neighbour must have finished his shower, because before another song started, the shower opposite the wall shut off, and Niall was left to finish his own in silence.

It wasn’t until he was drying off that he realised just how odd a naked shower duet with someone he’d never met at eleven at night was.

  1. _Blue Jeans - Lana Del Rey_



 

* * *

 

Two days later, it was nearing midnight when Niall pulled himself away from his essay that had had only three paragraphs for the past six hours, and headed into the bathroom. He was much less surprised the second time to hear the angelic voice of his neighbour belting out another song as music drifted through the wall when he turned his shower on, this time a far more upbeat song, more suited to a club.

“ – _And you keep telling me, telling me that you'll be sweet, and you'll never want to leave my side, as long as I don't break these_ –” Niall joined in, and there wasn’t a shocked knocking over of shampoo bottles, instead just the pause before – 

“– _Promises, and they still feel all so wasted on myself._ ” The guy joined in again on the hook of the song, their voices blending well together.

“You’re good!” The guy called when the song faded out, but before Niall could think up a reply that didn’t sound weird, the neighbouring shower was off, and so was the music.

  1. _Promises – Nero_



 

* * *

 

Niall was just stepping in the shower after getting in from a movie with Liam, when he realised something was different.

The shower was on, but there was no music playing.

Niall wasn’t sure that it was the same guy, his duet partner as he’d been calling him in his head (and totally not ‘the neighbour with the beautiful angelic voice’, of course not). He’d had lunch with the neighbours he did talk to, and Perrie and Jade had told him that all they knew was that there was two guys that had moved in next door to Niall and co, so it could have been either. They didn’t have any more information than that, and he wasn’t going to be weird and tell them about the duets he’d been singing with an unknown neighbour, so he just left it.

He paused in the silence, just as he was taking off his pants, and dashed quickly in his room, grabbing his iPod and speaker, before plugging it in in the bathroom. After quickly swiping through his library, he bypassed the obscure indie bands, and selected something popular just in case it was the singing neighbour, and he wanted to join in.

“ _We could hide away in daylight, we go undercover, wait out the sun…_ ” Niall started singing in time with the music as he stepped under the warm shower.

He couldn’t stop his grin when the lovely neighbour’s voice drifted through the wall, joining in.

“… _Everyday people do everyday things but I can't be one of them. I know you hear me now, we are a different kind, we can do anything.._ ” His voice was slightly thicker than usual, like he’d not long woken up from sleeping or something, and Niall found that he liked the tone in the guy’s voice.

Niall didn’t hold back as he belted out the chorus of the song, the neighbour joining in flawlessly. “ _We could be Herooo-oo-oes ooooh oooooooh_ ”

  1. _Heroes – Alesso ft. Tove Lo_



 

* * *

 

After that, the song choice was just up to whoever turned their music on first, and Niall didn’t know about his neighbour, but he was trying and failing to pretend he wasn’t listening out for the sound of the shower next door starting. It helped that they seemed to have the same schedule, and Louis and Liam were used to his singing in the shower, so they never noticed anything different.

One night he was finishing a composition when he heard the shower start, and he grinned, basically leaping out of bed and into the bathroom when he recognised a familiar beat coming through the wall.

“ _– ‘Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in_.”

  1. __I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift  
__



 

* * *

 

  1. _Shine – Years & Years_



 

* * *

 

Niall decided it was time to expose the neighbour with one of his favourite bands, and so the next time he stepped in the shower, he was grinning widely as he selected the music.

He heard a groan from opposite the wall, and he laughed loudly at the comment that followed.

“You’re fucking Irish, aren’t you?” The neighbour asked with a loud chuckle, and instead of answering, Niall just belted the lyrics.

“ _It’s alright ‘cause tonight we’re gonna paint the town green! Just like home, let’s colour the streets like our own, let’s make this place feel like our own.._ ”

(He didn’t join in that song, but sang along well on the next one.)

  1. _Paint the Town Green – The Script_



 

* * *

 

Niall was in a terrible mood, that much was obvious to anyone around him.

He’d woken up with a sore neck having slept at a bad angle, barely passed a test that he’d thought he’d done well on, and then he’d been forced into a dinner with his parents, which only served to make the day worse.

The moment he got home, he headed to the bathroom, stripping off immediately. He was glad that both his roommates were out for the night, because they always hated it when he was mopey, and he was in the mood to do nothing but mope.

Grabbing his iPod, Niall immediately chose the mopeiest song he had, hoping that if he was joined by his duet partner, he wouldn’t mind the music choice. The song was somewhere between angry and hurt, and it was perfect.

 _“– To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark, to be kicked when you're down, to feel like you've been pushed around, to be on the edge of breaking down, and no one's there to save you._ _No, you don't know what it's like, welcome to my life.”_

He wasn’t surprised to hear the shower switch on, and the much softer voice of his neighbour joined in on the chorus. There was a moment of silence between the songs, and Niall contemplated saying something.

“Shitty day?” The neighbour asked, and Niall shrugged stupidly, before talking to the guy for the first time.

“The worst.” Niall replied, not bothered by how much he sounded like a brooding teenager.

“This might help. Pause your music?” The guy replied, and Niall did as he said just as music came through the wall over the sounds of both the showers.

Niall was surprised by the angry rock song that was playing. Even though he literally knew nothing about his neighbour, he had him pegged as more of the R’n’B type, but either way he appreciated the angry music.

“ _… only when I stop to think about it - I – hate – everything – about - you!_ ”

  1. _Welcome To My Life – Simple Plan_
  2. _I Hate Everything About You – Three Days Grace_



 

* * *

 

  1. _Ghost – Halsey_



 

* * *

 

Niall didn’t learn his name until they’d been dueting for over a month, and it was entirely by chance.

“ _Talk to me, baby, I'm going blind from this sweet, sweet craving, whoa. Let's lose our minds and go fucking crazy. I keep on hoping we'll eat cake by the ocean._ ”

They were singing along to Niall’s iPod when he heard a banging on a door, and realised it was on the other side of the wall in the neighbouring apartment.

“Oi Zayn!” He heard a deep voice call, muffled by the walls. “I’m going out now, don’t wait up!”

 _Zayn._ A beautiful name, fitting for a beautiful voice.

“Alright, be safe Haz!” _Zayn_ called back, before joining in on the song again.

Once the song finished, there was silence as Niall picked the next one.

“So you know my name now, do I get to know yours?” _Zayn_ said through the wall. “Otherwise I’m just gonna keep calling you the neighbour with the great voice.”

Niall preened at the compliment. “Niall, ‘m Niall.”

  1. _Cake By The Ocean – DNCE_



 

* * *

 

Niall knew he impressed Zayn when he managed to rap along to Blackstreet late one night. Of course, he didn’t mention that he only knew it because he saw Pitch Perfect three times at the movies, and made Louis illegally download it, but that was beside the point anyway.

  1. _No Diggity – Blackstreet_.



 

* * *

 

They were in the middle of a particularly upbeat pop song when Niall realised that he was a fucking idiot. Of course, this realisation came as he was mid dance, realising that he was actually not the most coordinated person around, and so dancing while soaking wet and naked was not the best idea he’d had.

There was a loud crash as he fell and hit into the side of the bathtub, knocking over every shampoo, conditioner, and body wash sitting on the side (it was dumb to put them there in the first place, if you asked Niall anyway).

“You okay?” Zayn called through the wall, and Niall could hear the concern obvious in his voice.

“Yeah – yeah I’m fine, just slipped.” He replied, getting up carefully.

“… were you boyband dancing?”

  1. _Bye Bye Bye – ‘N Sync_



 

* * *

 

  1. _You Make Me Feel – Cobra Starship ft. Sabi_



 

* * *

 

It was ridiculous, right? A crush on someone that Niall had never met, or even seen. All he knew was that Zayn had a beautiful voice, and showered at the same time as him. He was just lonely, that was all, Liam was getting serious with Sophia, and Louis had his secret boyfriend, sneaking out and coming in at weird times, so he was just lonely and the only company he had half the time was Zayn being his duet partner.

It didn’t help that after admitting to himself about the crush-that-really-wasn’t-a-crush, the next song they sang together was a love song.

“… _k_ _iss me under the light of a thousand stars, place your head on my beating heart. I’m thinking out loud_ …”

Crooning a love song with someone was not a regular occurrence for Niall, but of course, whoever the fuck his guardian angel was obviously was pretty crap at the job, because instead of being able to finish the beautiful love song with Zayn (who was hitting all the notes flawlessly), Niall had to ruin it with a shout of –

“Holy fucking shit you motherfucker!”

 _Pause._ “I’m sorry?”

Niall let out a half groan, half whimper. “Not you, sorry – there’s a giant fucking spider sitting on the edge of the tub and I just noticed it.”

The opposite side of the wall was silent, before all he heard was a loud cackle of laughter.

“Great, I’m glad you find my terror hilarious.” Niall said as Zayn kept laughing. He picked up the newest and therefore most full and heaviest bottle of body wash, and all but threw it at the corner where the massive spider was chilling, plotting Niall’s death probably. He hit hard a few more times until he was certain that the spider was definitely dead, and then washed the gross spider insides and legs down the drain with a dramatic sigh.

“Okay, terrified of spiders. That’s another thing I can add to the list of things that I know about you.”

_14\. Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran_

 

* * *

 

_15\. Anything – Hedley_

 

* * *

 

Niall wasn’t sure if it was a hint or not.

__16._ fallingforyou – The 1975_

 

* * *

 

Niall couldn’t believe that he was drunk, and all he wanted to do was sing with his neighbour in the shower. He couldn’t even recall when it became the highlight of his week, and his flatmates weren’t even around enough to notice how often he was showering loudly (his hair was definitely in the best condition it had ever been in, but that was just one of the upsides).

He managed to stumble more than a few times as he pulled off his clothes, nearly falling into the bathtub multiple times. Hearing the now familiar laugh through the wall as his neighbour turned his own shower on, Niall grinned and plugged his iPod in.

“ _You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down, strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground!_ ” Niall basically shouted the lyrics over the heavy thumping music, feeling elated and energetic, despite the fact that it was nearing two in the morning. He was kept up by Louis and Liam, who had insisted on a lads night, and he assumed that Zayn was probably kept up by studying or something, since they were nearing finals.

“ _– We are the jack-o-lanterns in July, setting fire to the sky. Here comes this rising tide, so come on!_ ”

“You know, I’m sure everyone in the building hates us.” Zayn said after joining Niall in singing. “Don’t you have flatmates?”

“Yeah, but they’re both out – and I don’t care about everyone hating us because we are amazing – _Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix, then I'll raise you like a phoenix!_ ”

Zayn just gave a hearty laugh, making him feel all tingly, and joined back in on the chorus, shouting it just as loud. The bass from the music was thumping in Niall’s chest, and he knew he definitely wasn’t going to sleep any time soon.

__17._ The Phoenix – Fall Out Boy_

 

* * *

 

He knew he was completely gone.

__18._ The One – Kodaline_

 

* * *

 

Niall wasn’t even trying to hide it, so it wasn’t surprising when Liam asked him why he was so happy one night before a shower. Of course, Louis just shouted that it was because he was going to jerk off, and Niall had to stop himself from replying that _no, that happens after the shower_.

He headed in, and shuffled his iPod, wondering how long it would take for Zayn to start his own shower as he stepped under the warm water.

The first song finished and Niall heard the water on the other side of the wall start up at the same time as his music.

“ _Is it still me that makes you sweat? Am I who you think about in bed?_ ”

_Oh Christ._

You know, just a song about sex, no big deal. It wasn’t like he had to hide the fact that he was sporting an impressive erection from just thinking about his naked neighbour singing this song to him, but he also wasn’t sure that he could make any sort of noise without alerting Zayn that he was painfully hard already.

It was worse when Zayn started singing.

“ _I've got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better fuck, than any boy you'll ever meet, sweetie you had me.._ ”

Niall felt Zayn’s voice go straight through his body like fucking lightning.

“ _No, no, no, you know it will always just be me._ ” Niall managed to join in eventually.

They finished the song together, and Niall honestly thought he wasn’t going to make it without giving his feelings away to Zayn. His hands itched to reach down to take care of his erection, but he already felt weird enough about jerking off over his neighbour who he’d never seen after a shower, he wasn’t about to do it with said neighbour inches away on the other side of the wall.

There was a noise on the other side of the wall, and Niall thought Zayn might have fallen over or something, before music started up. Niall didn’t think that even the noise of his shower could cover the thumping of his heart as Zayn started playing the next song. Obviously there was a theme for their music that night, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

_“Climb on board, we'll go slow and high tempo. Light and dark, hold me hard and mellow…”_

Jesus fucking Christ. What was he supposed to do?

Niall knew his voice was breathy when he joined in, but if Zayn noticed, he didn’t say anything, he just kept singing along perfectly, unaware of what he was doing to Niall.

“– _So we'll piss off the neighbours, in the place that feels the tears, the place to lose your fears. Yeah, reckless behaviour, a place that is so pure, so dirty and raw. Be in the bed all day, bed all day, bed all day, fucking in, fighting on_ –”

Oh fuck it.

There was a split second before Niall made up his mind, and switched the shower off. He wrapped a towel around his waist haphazardly, and all but sprinted out of the bathroom. He dashed to the front door, closing it quietly behind him, and just as he was about to knock on the neighbouring door, it slammed open.

“Zayn?” Niall squeaked out, and he couldn’t believe his luck when the man nodded. He hadn’t had one drop of alcohol, yet he felt more than a little drunk on the moment alone. Zayn was hands down the most beautiful person he’d ever met, arms and torso covered in tattoos, toned chest with water still dripping down towards the incredibly low slung towel that Niall just wanted to pull off and –

“Are you going to come in?”

_Yes please._

__19._ Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off - Panic! At The Disco_  
__20._ Pillowtalk - Unknown Artist (or at least in this story)_

 

* * *

 

The towels barely stayed on for long. Neither had a chance to say anything before his lips were on Zayn’s, backing him into the apartment. He tasted sugary sweet, and smelled like apple shampoo, and Niall was completely drunk on him. One of Zayn’s hands twisted in his hair and the other moved to cup his ass through the towel while Niall walked them further in the lounge, nibbling on Zayn’s bottom lip as his hands rested on Zayn’s hips, not daring to go lower - yet. He could feel his heart beating wildly as he pulled out of the kiss.

“Flatmate?” He asked breathlessly, and Zayn shook his head.

“Won’t be home for hours.” Was his only reply, before moving to kiss Niall’s neck.

“F – fuck.” Niall said in a strangled voice, before continuing to walk them towards where he assumed the bedrooms were. Of course as luck would have it, he walked Zayn straight into the back of the couch, and they both went tumbling over with the force of it. He failed to see the downside to this though, as falling over the couch meant that both their towels had fallen off.

Niall knew he should have felt more vulnerable, suddenly naked in the presence of someone that he didn’t really know, but one glance at Zayn’s erection and any vulnerability was gone. Zayn’s eyes were burning a hole through him as he hoisted Niall onto him, teeth grazing his neck before moving up to his jaw and then continuing up. Niall moaned into Zayn’s mouth, moving his hips against Zayn’s to get as much friction as he could, twisting his hands in Zayn’s hair and pulling hard.

They’d never seen each other beforehand, never even touched, but somehow, it was like Niall’s body knew Zayn’s already. It was natural, Niall knew exactly how he liked to be kissed, touched, fucked, and Zayn was just as perceptive.

Afterwards, when they both collapsed on the ground next to the couch, Niall couldn’t have stopped the sleepy grin on his face even if he tried. Zayn snuggled into his side, resting his head on Niall’s shoulder as he snaked his arm around Niall’s waist. All they needed was a blanket, and he would have been quite happy to go to sleep.

“You left your music on.” Niall said, noticing the music coming from the bathroom.

Zayn laughed softly, his breath light and ticklish on Niall’s neck. “Well I wasn’t really thinking about it when I decided I was going to see you, I’m surprised I even managed to turn the shower off.”

“And to think, we could have been doing this all along.” Niall replied, before singing along to the music under his breath.

“… _All you've gotta do is baby kick off your shoes and lay down. Climb up here with me and let's forget about sleep, just lay down with me_.”

__21._ Sleazy Bed Track – The Bluetones_

 

* * *

 

They sang under the same showerhead from then on.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [Tumblr](https://andthecollisionofyourkiss.tumblr.com) and we can cry about Ziall together.


End file.
